12 TV Shows That Lost Their Lead Actor But Kept Going

Sometimes shows have trouble continuing on when one of the leads decides to leave the series, or is fired, but other times the show can literally continue on without the lead character for several more seasons without any serious consequences. These 12 shows faced the challenge of losing an important star, but persevered! They lost a lead and they were able to keep going, although sometimes not for long:

12. The Ranch

Netflix used its comedy, The Ranch, as a That ’70s Show reunion as it cast Ashton Kutcher and Danny Masterson as brothers Colt and Rooster Bennett. The chemistry the pair already had helped greatly in gaining an audience for the series and making the jokes flow, but controversy ensued after Netflix abruptly fired Masterson following sexual assault allegations against the actor. After Masterson was fired in December of 2017, it was confirmed that the series would be coming back for a third season and, in March of 2018, it was reported that his character would be replaced by actor Dax Shepard. Shepard was cast as Luke Matthews, a former soldier who befriends Colt Bennett. Only time will tell how long The Ranch survives without Masterson and with a new dynamic between Kutcher and Shepard as the leads.

11. Lethal Weapon

Amid all the reboots and revivals, FOX took a chance in 2016 when it debuted the TV adaptation of the beloved film franchise Lethal Weapon starring Clayne Crawford and Damon Wayans as Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh. Unfortunately, despite high ratings, following season two, reports surfaced that FOX was considering axing the series because of problems with star Clayne Crawford and rumors swirled that if the network decided to go ahead with a season three, it would be without him. In mid-May, the shocking news came that FOX had fired Crawford and the show would be continuing on without Martin Riggs. In addition to cutting the major star, the network announced it had hired Seann William Scott to fill the void as a new partner for Wayans’ Murtaugh.